Shelly Sigo

BRADENTON, Fla. — Homebuyers either are shying away from buying homes on the beach or requiring a 60-day guarantee that the oil will not affect the beach before signing real estate contracts, a Naples, Fla., Realtor claimed in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Standard & Poor’s Wednesday dropped Miami’s general obligation bond rating to A-minus from A-plus. The agency also downgraded debt backed by the city’s covenant to budget and appropriate to BBB-plus from A.

BRADENTON, Fla. — In its first municipal bond deal in two years, the Kentucky Higher Education Student Loan Corp. today will price $225 million of revenue bonds to take out a portion of its auction-rate securities.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed Tuesday appointed Robert Kennedy as acting general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, effective June 30.

Florida Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, last week directed the Select Committee on Florida’s Economy to review the effects of the Deepwater Horizon spill on Florida’s economy.

With an eye toward reducing risk and increasing returns, the Florida State Board of Administration last week voted to revise investment strategies at the country’s fourth-largest public pension fund and to invest in infrastructure projects, including airports and roads.

BRADENTON, Fla. — After a more than two-year search, Jefferson County, Ala., has hired its first chief financial ­officer.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Georgia Department of Transportation Monday announced the appointment of Sandra Burgess as the new director of its public-private partnership program.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority in central Florida today hopes to begin retail pricing of a two-pronged transaction — including up to $250 million of fixed-rate refunding revenue bonds and a restructuring of $250 million of variable-rate bonds with the termination of associated swaps.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Tennessee General Assembly late Wednesday ended its annual session after sending Gov. Phil Bredesen a $29.9 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Kentucky Turnpike Authority plans to begin pricing $334.2 million of new-money and refunding revenue bonds Monday for in-state retail investors. Final pricing is expected Tuesday.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed last week said he is considering three candidates to be the city’s chief financial officer. The names were among those submitted by a selection committee after a national search.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Florida’s elected Cabinet yesterday expressed frustration at the failure of BP and the federal government to shut off the flow of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico and perform cleanup efforts.

MIAMI — With a clear need to invest in infrastructure and a large budget deficit, Puerto Rico is poised to launch its first public-private partnership projects.

Atlanta’s mass transit provider MARTA last week announced fare increases as well as reductions in staff and service in conjunction with the presentation of a fiscal 2011 budget.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist late last week signed HB 7179, giving local governments the authority to use municipal bonds to help homeowners finance energy-conservation improvements.

The Jefferson County Commission Tuesday agreed to hire a New York law firm to defend the county against a lawsuit filed by Syncora Guarantee Inc. on April 29.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Broward County in southeast Florida later this month plans to sell $220.2 million of revenue bonds, most of which will be taxable Build America Bonds. The deal represents the county’s first use of BABs and the first time it will leverage a local half-cent sales tax.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Florida Gov. Charlie Crist Friday signed into law a $70 billion budget for fiscal 2011.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Florida last week received $66.6 million out of $80 million in federal grants distributed by the U.S. Department of Transportation for high-speed rail development.